"B For Bible Study: Friend Of Jesus

Have
you ever had someone dislike you because of something you've said or done? Most
of us have experienced that. Have you ever had someone dislike you because of
one of your friends? If you're a Christian, that has happened--or will happen
someday. Why? Jesus explains.

What
Does God Say?

"'I
no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now
you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You
didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit,
so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name'"
(John 15:15-16, NLT).

Jesus
reminds us that as Christ-followers we are not just His servants, but we are
His friends. Being a friend of Jesus is one of the privileges of being a
Christian. But Jesus makes a prediction for His friends.

"The
world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no
longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates
you" (John 15:19, NLT).

What
kind of prediction did Jesus make for His friends?

According
to these verses, why will the world hate you?

Read
the following verses and answer the questions.

Matthew
12:14

Why
did the Pharisees call a meeting in Matthew 12?

Luke
4:28-30

Who
was furious with Jesus in Luke 4:28-30?

What
did they do to Jesus?

What
did they intend to do?

How
did Jesus get away?

John
8:57-59

Who
was upset with Jesus in these verses?

What
did they use to express their anger?

How
did Jesus get away?

After
reading the above verses, what do you learn about the relationships Jesus had
with others (especially the religious leaders) during the last three years of
His life?

My
Thoughts

Do
you understand why as a Christ-follower you will be disliked or hated even
though you have done nothing to deserve it?

Dr.
Woodrow Kroll, Bible Teacher, clarifies: "When you live a life that
pleases the Lord, you are a problem to people who don't please the Lord. So, is
it any wonder, then, that the world hates you? When I say to you, 'Have a good
and godly day,' I am saying to you, 'You do that, and you're going to be hated
because of it.' Why? Because the world doesn't know God."

Randomly
scribble any words that express how you feel when you consider that you will be
hated and perhaps even persecuted someday because of your faith.

If
"fear" or a similar emotion is on your list, take your list before
God and tell Him how you feel. Then think about this.

How
does Jesus expect you to respond to hostility and perhaps even persecution?
(Matthew 5:44, Romans 12:14).

Who
will give you the strength to respond appropriately? (Ephesians 3:16).

My
Part

Are
you a friend of Jesus? If so, you can expect some people to have a very
negative reaction to you.

Ask
the Lord to strengthen you by the power of the Holy Spirit and to give you the
character of Christ, in particular His courage and compassion. See Acts 6 and 7
for Stephen's example.

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